The two left the Rwampara Treatment Center on Tuesday, near Bunia, in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, along with five other people who also recovered from Ebola.

鈥淭he joy is immense given the state he was in at first,鈥� Kahindo Mireille Pierrette of her infant. 鈥淚f you had seen him before, you wouldn鈥檛 believe he could have this strength now,鈥� she added.

Pierrette said she brought her child to the treatment center at the end of May, after he started bleeding from the mouth and nose and could barely move.

Modet Camara, a doctor at the center, said the baby was treated with antibiotics after a PCR test came back positive for Ebola on his second day at the hospital.

Congo’s Ministry of Health said Tuesday that 837 cases of the virus have been confirmed so far, including 196 confirmed deaths. However, the number of cases is believed to be higher because the on May 15, weeks after it is suspected to have begun.

Since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, 49 , the ministry said.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatment or vaccine. The more common Zaire virus, which now has a vaccine, was responsible for most of Congo鈥檚 past 16 .

More than 90% of the cases in the current outbreak are concentrated in Congo鈥檚 eastern province of Ituri. Cases have also been recorded in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and have spread across the border to Uganda.

The head of Africa鈥檚 Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday that the outbreak could become the worst on record, noting that tens of thousands of contacts of infected patients have yet to be traced.

鈥淚f we don鈥檛 stop the outbreak very soon it will 鈥媌e worse than what 鈥媤e had in West Africa and eastern 鈥孌RC,鈥� 鈦燗frica CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said during a virtual meeting of African heads of 鈥媠tate.

An outbreak a decade ago across several countries in West Africa was , with more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.

Nearly a million people have been displaced by years of conflict in Ituri, according to the U.N. humanitarian office, making contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently in the vast province with dense forests, poor roads and remote villages that can take days to reach.

Tracing is also difficult among the thousands of miners who regularly move among remote sites in the mineral-rich region.

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The golf course, a links-style masterpiece that was one of the USGA’s five founding clubs in the 1890s, lies across ancient burial grounds that once belonged to the Shinnecock Nation, whose own people built the course.

On Thursday, 156 players from around the world will for the . Among those playing back in 1896 鈥� the first time the USGA brought the Open to the outer reaches of Long Island 鈥� was John Shippen, the African-American golf teacher and club maker at the club who, as a 16-year-old, joined Shinnecock tribe member Oscar Bunn on the tee sheet.

Shippen was the first Black player to play in the U.S. Open; he and Bunn are believed to be the first two American-born players to play in America’s national championship.

Before the tournament, pros from Britain told USGA management they refused to play against the Black and Native American players. The USGA president, Theodore Havemeyer, told those pros the tournament would go on with or without them.

Though the decision flew beneath the radar during a fledgling time for golf in the U.S. and for professional golf anywhere 鈥� in that era, the amateur game, not the pro game, drew the best players 鈥� the precedent Havemeyer set looks better as the years pass in a sport with a checkered record of inclusion.

鈥淵ou think of the word 鈥榩ioneer,鈥� and it’s probably overused a little bit,” USGA historian Mike Trostel said. 鈥淏ut I think in the case of Shippen, his pioneering spirit as the first African-American professional鈥� stands out.

Shinnecock shares history with a tribal land and its people

While there’s little debate about Shippen’s role as a largely unheralded pioneer, the history between the Shinnecock people and their surroundings is more complicated, and it involves much more than golf.

As detailed in a documentary, 鈥淭he Land We Share,鈥� that came out in the weeks leading up to , New York’s state legislature forced the Shinnecock to cede most of its territory to the village of Southampton in 1859. The nation’s boundaries now consist of about 800 acres located south of Montauk Highway 鈥� a short drive from the entrypoint to one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the country.

But it was members of the Shinnecock tribe who were brought over by the landowners to build this course and who, for decades, maintained it. Tribal member Peter Smith was the third generation from his family to serve as head of the Shinnecock grounds crew. He was widely praised for his setup of the layout when the U.S. Open returned here in 1986, then again in 1995.

Smith’s firing in 1999 鈥� the reasons aren’t well laid out in the documentary and contemporaneous media reports say it was simply because the club was looking to take things in a new direction 鈥� created a rift with the Shinnecock that only recently has started to heal.

Smith’s nephew, Matthew, is an assistant on the grounds crew now and was a central figure in the documentary.

鈥淢y ancestors built that course, my ancestors died on that course,鈥� Smith says in the movie. 鈥淭here’s blood, sweat and tears on that course.鈥�

The president of Shinnecock Hills, Brian Pickett, acknowledged in the movie that and the Shinnecock Nation share 鈥渁 part of American history that you can’t hide from.” Tribal council chair Lisa Goree spoke about the realities of a poor tribe situated in the middle of 鈥渁ll this wealth and opulence.鈥�

鈥淭here are so many people who pass right through the golf club, they have no idea where that name came from,鈥� Goree said.

As first Black player in the US Open, Shippen made history quietly

Pretty much every telling of Shippen’s story acknowledges he wasn’t focused on the history he made when he played Shinnecock in 1896. The short version is that once he started working at the club and took up golf, he quickly became Shinnecock’s best player.

Members recognized that and paid his entry fee to the U.S. Open. He was part of a field of 35 and was tied for the lead after the first round of the two-round event. He got stuck in the sand on the 13th hole during the second round. He made an 11 there en route to a fifth-place finish and a $10 paycheck.

鈥淚’ve wished 100 times I could’ve played that little par-4 again,鈥� Shippen recounted in a 1969 interview with Tuesday magazine.

Were it not for that mishap, he might not only have been the first Black player in a U.S. Open but the first Black winner, as well.

It took 90 years for the USGA to return to Shinnecock 鈥� largely a product of its remote location on the south fork of Long Island. In between, the sport’s struggle with diversity has been a well-documented part of its story.

Players like Charlie Sifford (first Black player to earn a PGA Tour card), Lee Elder (first Black player in the Masters) and Calvin Peete (12 wins on the PGA Tour) are on the short list of African-Americans who pierced golf’s racial barrier.

Tiger Woods won the Masters in 1997 to make the most pronounced breakthrough in the white-dominated culture of this country club sport.

Shippen’s contribution 101 years earlier 鈥� much like Shinnecock’s Native American heritage 鈥� still remains a footnote. Both, however, are revisited whenever golf returns to one of the more special and complex landscapes from its past.

鈥淚t’s complicated,鈥� Pickett said. 鈥淭o us, having had those relationships and talking about the complications is far better than not having the conversation at all.鈥�

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Many view the onset of hemorrhagic fever as a spiritual affliction and seek out herbs and prayers instead of going to the hospital. This is the case now in Congo, which is suffering of Ebola since 1976, when the virus was first identified in the .

Five decades later, the virus continues to mystify many of the sick in Africa while turning religious leaders into first responders in a deadly emergency. The current outbreak鈥檚 victims include health workers without protective gear as well as pastors and worshippers who gathered while Ebola was spreading, according to humanitarian workers and others who spoke to The Associated Press.

Ebola spreads through close contact with sick or deceased patients鈥� bodily fluids. The current outbreak is particularly worrisome in a region where many are distrustful of health workers and refuse to seek medical care.

In Bunia, a town in Ituri province that is the outbreak’s epicenter, misinformation about Ebola has made it harder for health workers to respond to the outbreak that has so far . One rumor suggests that Ebola is spread by malicious people who drop magical charms tied to dollar bills down pit latrines.

鈥淪ome people still describe Ebola as something mysterious, spiritual, or brought by outsiders, rather than a disease that needs medical care,鈥� said Onesphore Bangenza of the aid group Mercy Corps, speaking from Bunia. 鈥淲hen people do not trust the health system, they often go first to traditional healers, faith leaders, or people they already know. The danger is that many only reach the hospital when they are already very sick.鈥�

Uncommon type of Ebola causing the outbreak

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, that has no approved medicines or vaccines to combat it. It is occurring in a remote area of Congo that also faces armed violence by rebel groups as well as displacement. Ebola intensifies the suffering, with its terrifying symptoms that evoke a modern-day plague.

The outbreak was confirmed on May 15. Some experts believe infections may have been occurring in February, but health officials initially tested for a different kind of virus that causes Ebola disease.

The World Health Organization quickly declared the event a public health emergency of international concern. The U.S. government has imposed a temporary ban on the entry of people without U.S. passports who have recently visited Congo, Uganda or South Sudan.

With so many people in afflicted communities seeking spiritual answers to the outbreak, humanitarian workers are urging religious leaders to get involved in combating Ebola.

In a video widely shared among people in Ituri, a catechist leader recently cured of the disease in the Ebola hot spot of Mongbwalu spoke candidly of the mistake that could have cost him his life.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 usually rush to the hospital, so I decided to go to the fields,鈥� Deogratias Kasereka said, before explaining how his children compelled him to seek medical treatment.

His symptoms had included muscle weakness and headaches, and he 鈥渇elt very hot.鈥� Ebola in later stages also can bring about internal and external bleeding.

The symptoms are so disturbing 鈥� and sometimes shameful 鈥� that some victims prefer the privacy of a traditional healer鈥檚 shrine, said Vincent Isimbwa, an elder among Seventh-day Adventists in a remote community of Ugandans that faced the first-ever outbreak of Bundibugyo in 2007.

鈥淭hey faced it so rough,鈥� said Isimbwa. 鈥淭he challenge with Ebola is that it is so bad that some people can believe that there are supernatural powers behind it.鈥�

That outbreak of Ebola killed at least 36 people and left the community terribly scarred. Many here also regret that the Bundibugyo virus is , the mountainous homeland of roughly 200,000 people mostly living as farmers.

Mistrust and medical limitations drive sick people to healers

In Bundibugyo two decades later, the Ugandan nurse whose sample of blood confirmed the 2007 outbreak said his symptoms confused those who examined him in the early days of the outbreak. Some thought Samuel Kuule had a case of food poisoning. While others afflicted may have gone to see healers, described pejoratively as witch doctors, he was nursed in a narrow hospital room by caregivers including his pregnant wife, who was never infected.

Kuule recalled that his symptoms 鈥� peeling skin, bloodshot eyes and severe headache 鈥� terrified him without shaking his Seventh-day Adventist faith, unlike some others who may have felt they were being bewitched.

鈥淔or those who are weak in faith, they may (think) that they are being bewitched,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aybe they can believe it.鈥�

Some locals recalled that an early victim of the 2007 outbreak was a woman stretchered down the mountains and into the shrine of a traditional healer, an older man who survived but lost three sons to Ebola. Speaking through his presumptive heir, Amon Balinda, the healer said he switched his service from benediction and prayer to the prescription of herbs after he was told Ebola was spreading.

鈥淔or us in African traditional societies, in most cases when you fall sick and you go to the hospitals and they give you some injections and there is no improvement, there and then you switch to your neighbor, or anybody, and say maybe he is the one bewitching you,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hen you decide to go to the witch doctor.鈥�

In fact, Ebola outbreaks are believed to start with the virus spilling over into humans from an infected animal such as a fruit bat. These cross-species infections often happen when people handle and eat wild meat, experts say.

The WHO is urging early testing for Ebola, in addition to isolating contacts in the current outbreak.

That’s challenging in communities with deep religious faith, Christian but especially traditional. People insist on burying the dead according to established custom, because to do otherwise may deprive the dead of an afterlife. Pastors who stake their authority on the ability to heal the sick are expected to perform. Traditional healers face similar hopes.

This is why Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni rebuked religious leaders in a recent televised speech, saying there was no need to touch the sick in the time of Ebola. He said that Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, told him while visiting Uganda that many victims in Congo are religious people.

鈥淭he pastors, the pastors, the pastors,鈥� Museveni said, squinting in apparent disappointment. 鈥淭he people of God 鈥� they are the ones who touch patients. 鈥� God is not deaf. You can pray without touching.鈥�

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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It was Zapatero鈥檚 first appearance before the National Court judge since being last month for alleged influence peddling, money laundering and other possible financial wrongdoing related to the Spanish government鈥檚 rescue of the Plus Ultra airline.

Zapatero, 65, who was prime minister from 2004 to 2011, had been out of public office for a decade when Plus Ultra received 53 million euros ($61.5 million) in public money in 2021 from a COVID-19 recovery fund.

Judge Jos茅 Luis Calama is also examining a possible case of tax fraud and dealing in contraband related to jewelry worth 1.3 million euros ($1.5 million) discovered in a safe by police during a search of Zapatero鈥檚 office in May.

Zapatero has denied any wrongdoing in the airline case and has said the jewelry was inherited or received as gifts.

Zapatero remains an important figure for the Socialist party led by current Prime Minister , whose party has been rocked by over the past two years.

Plus Ultra, which had investors from Venezuela, was an airline specializing in flights between Spain and South America.

Since leaving office, Zapatero has focused on maintaining dialogue with the government in Venezuela, which was largely isolated from Western countries after it cracked down on the democratic opposition.

In a statement released to local media, Zapatero on Wednesday again denied any wrongdoing. He said he has no wealth outside Spain and he trusted the justice system.

鈥淚 have been accused of serious crimes that I did not commit,鈥� his statement read. 鈥淚 have always acted with decency and honor, and now I am faced with the task of demonstrating it.鈥�

After listening to Zapatero for two-and-a-half hours, the judge rejected requests by state prosecutors to confiscate his passport, arguing that the former prime minister was neither a flight risk nor a threat to destroy evidence.

In Spain, an investigative judge probes suspicions of a crime and can recommend a case go to trial if there is sufficient evidence. A different judge then oversees the trial phase. The process can take months or longer.

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“It feels like you’re stepping back into his world,” Ward said of the grounds in Hyde Park, New York, that once were home to the Roosevelt family. 鈥淭he library and home collections reflect all his many interests 鈥� stamps, coins, birds he shot and had stuffed as a boy, model ships, children鈥檚 books, books about naval history, the pony-drawn sleigh he rode in as a child, and on and on.鈥�

Since FDR helped launch the modern system of presidential sites in the late 1930s, a network of museums and research facilities has grown nationwide, overseen in part by the National Archives and Records Administration, or NARA, but otherwise as varied as the men they honor. They are set everywhere from the scenic Presidential Library & Museum in California’s Simi Valley to the small-town setting of the Herbert Hoover Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa, to the vast Presidential Center that opens to the public on Friday, Juneteenth, in Chicago.

Historian Douglas Brinkley, who says he has visited all of the post-FDR libraries, calls them vital hubs for lectures, research, school tours and tourists.

鈥淓ach of the libraries have their own aura,” Brinkley says. 鈥淩oosevelt came up with a perfect idea by gifting his home in Hyde Park to the people of America, instead of having his papers stored in a warehouse in Virginia or Maryland. He started a tradition of having them go where the president lived.鈥�

A little presidential spin

Libraries carry with them a given president’s personality and legacy. Brinkley and others note that while the library archives are managed by NARA, the museum is funded by private donors who are likely to prefer a given president’s more favorable moments be emphasized or less favorable ones softened.

On the Hoover website, a page dedicated to the Great Depression emphasizes that some of the policies enacted by Roosevelt, who easily defeated Hoover for reelection, were first proposed by Hoover. The library in Yorba Linda, California, was for years at the heart of a battle between museum administrators and the former president and his supporters over everything from control of his archives to how much space should be dedicated to the Watergate scandal that helped lead to his resignation.

Max Boot, author of a 2024 biography of Reagan, contrasted his access to the Reagan archives with the museum itself. The late president’s records were 鈥渁dministered by federal employees in an entirely professional and apolitical fashion. There is no attempt to hide anything,鈥� he said. The museum 鈥渘aturally focuses on Reagan鈥檚 achievements and shortchanges his failures.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 designed to present a positive portrait. Thus, volumes critical of Reagan are not sold in the library bookstore,鈥� Boot said.

Historian Ted Widmer, a former speechwriter for , said, 鈥淲hile it鈥檚 inevitable that the presidential libraries will present the highlights of a presidency, there has been some progress toward transparency in recent years.鈥�

He praised the Lyndon Johnson library, located in Austin, Texas, for its willingness to take on LBJ’s widely criticized handling of the Vietnam War. In 2023, the library helped revive interest in one of Johnson’s most notorious campaigns 鈥� the 1948 Senate campaign now widely believed to have been stolen 鈥� by posting recordings on its website of interviews by Associated Press reporter James W. Mangan with a former Texas election judge who acknowledged certifying false votes that helped LBJ win.

鈥淚t is hard to know if future libraries will continue that trend, in an era in which history is increasingly politicized and polarized,鈥� Widmer says. “But it鈥檚 healthy for our democracy to encourage the study of history as it really happened 鈥� not a sanitized version.鈥�

The Obama experience

Obama officials have faced criticism for the center’s size and aesthetic 鈥� 鈥淭he building has an ominous presence, its mostly windowless heft recalling a menacing sci-fi headquarters,鈥� wrote The Guardian’s Oliver Wainwright 鈥� and for their decision not to have a NARA facility on site. A substantial amount of the former president’s records are digital, a trend Brinkley expects to continue with future libraries.

As many as 1 million people are expected to visit the center’s 20-acre campus each year, with highlights including a public library branch, an NBA-grade basketball court, a fruit and vegetable garden and a playground. Obama tested out one of the high metal slides in May.

鈥淭hat was fantastic,鈥� he said after zipping down, according to a video posted to the Obama Foundation鈥檚 social media. 鈥淚 was a little tall for it.鈥�

Obama also decided many of the center’s details and features, from textured stone on the museum鈥檚 225-foot tower to a pair of high-backed reading chairs inside the library. Among his favorite items, though, are charcoal grills that will be available for public use. He floated the idea to the public at a 2017 community meeting and was met with warm laughs from the hometown crowd.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have any folks who grill here?鈥� Obama said at the time. 鈥淚 thought this was the South Side of Chicago.鈥�

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Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report.

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A political backlash is brewing, though. Although homicide rates have broadly declined across Latin America compared to a decade ago, spikes in some countries and a regionwide rise in other crimes, particularly extortion, have for conservative populists to by promising strong-arm tactics against crime and immigration.

Stump speeches casting migrants as criminals and pitching heavy-handed security strategies popularized by El Salvador鈥檚 president, Nayib Bukele, have won conservative candidates U.S. President backing and fired up their disaffected electorates despite concerns that such tactics could encourage human rights abuses or threaten democracy.

鈥淵ou have an emergent right wing that is very much in collaboration across the region and with the U.S. through the , which has also used crime as a rallying cry for political mobilization,鈥� said Enrique Roig, vice president of the nonprofit Human Rights First and a former State Department official. 鈥淚t’s easier to sell locking people up than it is to deal with the reasons why mainly young men join gangs in countries like El Salvador.鈥�

Tough-on-crime platforms swing votes

Although populist politics across the political spectrum have done well, only the right has offered short-term security solutions that will make voters 鈥渇eel safer in six months鈥� even if they have to 鈥渟acrifice democracy and human rights,鈥� said Adam Isacson, director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America organization.

Proposals offered by the left, such as community violence prevention programs, better police training, and judicial and prison reforms, take more time to bear fruit, he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely what you鈥檙e supposed to be doing, but people鈥檚 patience runs out,鈥� Isacson said of long-term proposals. 鈥淪o, there come the Bukeles of the world saying, 鈥榊ou want to feel better? We got this.鈥欌��

In Colombia, where swaths of the countryside have , pro-Trump businessman has topped polls ahead of Sunday’s runoff election as he takes his cues from Bukele.

In Peru, where in the past five years, Keiko Fujimori rocketed to a on a law-and-order platform, vowing to deploy the military in prisons and along borders as she leans on the authoritarian legacy of her , former .

Costa Ricans, rattled by record levels of drug-related killings, elected in February for her tough-on-crime platform. Honduran businessman swept December’s election after as a partner in the fight against 鈥渘arco-communists.鈥�

Organized crime expands, fueling more violence

Latin America and the Caribbean last year saw their combined average homicide rate drop by more than 5% compared to 2024, with the median rate reaching about 17.6 per 100,000 people, according to InSight Crime, a think tank focused on organized crime in the Americas.

But there are a few key exceptions. Drug-fueled killings have increased in Peru and Colombia, the , as well as in neighboring Ecuador, whose major ports traffickers see as a gateway to European markets.

Last year, authorities tallied 2,400 homicides in Peru and 14,780 in Colombia, which were the most in each country since at least 2020. Killings rose a remarkable 31% in Ecuador year-on-year, to 9,216.

Gangs are blamed for much of the violence that began soaring in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic, as cartels from Mexico, Colombia and the Balkans expanded their operations and hired locals, who set off a deadly fight over drug-trafficking routes. Their territorial disputes , where hundreds of inmates have been killed since 2021.

Ecuadorian authorities also recorded more than 16,100 cases of extortion last year, which was down from 23,000 in 2024, though experts say it’s an underreported crime.

Populists seize an opportunity

Four years ago, Chilean voters rejected ultra-conservative lawmaker Jos茅 Antonio Kast in favor of ex-President Gabriel Boric, a young, tattooed former student protest leader seeking to address Chile鈥檚 endemic social inequities. Last year, though, fears over rising crime 鈥� and its frequent association in media with the country’s growing population of Venezuelan immigrants 鈥� , returning him to power.

As Venezuelan crime syndicates like the gang seized on their to infiltrate human trafficking networks following the pandemic, Chile, long one of Latin America’s safest countries, of carjackings, kidnappings and shoot-outs.

Chile鈥檚 homicide rate rose by 30%, to a peak of 6.7 per 100,000 people from 2021 to 2022, according to the Interior Ministry. It has since dropped but has stayed above pre-2021 levels. Other types of violent crime are still rising, including kidnappings, which have increased by nearly 180% over the past four years.

Drawing inspiration from Bukele, whose mega-prisons in El Salvador he toured while campaigning, his Communist opponent in December with pledges to build a , toughen prison conditions for gang members and deport hundreds of thousands of migrants without legal status. For his promises of safety, voters shrugged off Kast’s rights and his defense of bloody dictatorship.

In Peru, despite the contentious legacy of the convicted Alberto Fujimori, his daughter’s candidacy has taken advantage of a surge in violent crime four years after she lost the election to schoolteacher Pedro Castillo.

Campaigning under the slogan 鈥淧eru with Order,鈥� Keiko Fujimori won the largest vote share in April’s first round of voting. Results of the June 7 runoff still show her in a technical tie with the political heir of , nationalist Roberto S谩nchez.

Experts say the public’s appetite for tough tactics 鈥� historically associated with the region’s right-wing 20th-century dictatorships 鈥� has grown alongside its shrinking confidence in state institutions and its deepening ambivalence about democracy.

鈥淭he thinking is often, 鈥榙emocracy hasn鈥檛 been able to keep me and my family safe, so maybe democracy is part of the problem,鈥欌�� said Eduardo Moncada, director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University.

That poses a major challenge to the Latin American left, which in many countries has presided over sluggish economies, grappled with corruption scandals and failed to fulfill promises of social reform in recent years.

Even progressives such as Jeannette Jara in Chile and S谩nchez in Peru have shifted with the political tide. Uruguay’s president, Yamand煤 Orsi, called Bukele’s model an example worthy of further study. The center-left Guatemalan government declared a state of emergency to crack down on gang violence this year and welcomed the Trump administration’s help targeting drug traffickers.

Campaign promises meet reality

Recently elected politicians’ hard-line ambitions, though, have collided with the practicalities of governing complex and cash-strapped democracies like Ecuador and Chile. They are nothing like tiny El Salvador, where Bukele鈥檚 party .

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s promises in his 2023 campaign included locking up gang leaders on barges and building mega-prisons. He abandoned the floating prisons proposal after taking office, and it took his government until November to open the first mega-prison.

鈥淏uilding mega-prisons hasn鈥檛 been that easy or that straightforward because the country is in a very bad state financially and because President Daniel Noboa still sees himself as a democrat,鈥� said Beatriz Garc铆a Nice, policy analyst for the Washington-based Stimson Center think tank.

Nearly three months into Kast’s tenure, pollsters say a skeptical public can’t tell the difference between his security crackdown and that of his left-wing predecessor. His government has organized only two deportation flights after promising to immediately round up and expel Chile鈥檚 more than 300,000 immigrants without legal status. A different, more sheepish tone has crept into his speeches. Last month, he came under fire for calling the mass deportation promise 鈥渁 metaphor.鈥�

Even as he pitched new security measures in a June 1 address, including banning those convicted of attacking police from receiving social benefits, he tried to whittle down his supporters’ outsize expectations.

鈥淕overning, as many of you know, means taking responsibility for reality, especially when it鈥檚 difficult,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proceeding step by step because this isn鈥檛 something that happens overnight.鈥�

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DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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The two-day meeting, being held in Kazan, is set to consider ways to expand Russia鈥檚 鈥渟trategic partnership鈥� with that include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam, according to Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov.

The regional bloc has maintained relations with Moscow as a 鈥渄ialogue partner鈥� and engaged Russian officials in annual top-level meetings, he said. The summit in Kazan, on the Volga River, marks the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations.

In a message greeting participants in a business forum held on the sidelines of the summit, Putin said he was confident that it will 鈥渃reate new opportunities for expanding mutually beneficial trade, investment, and industrial cooperation, while also strengthening direct dialogue between our business communities.鈥�

Ushakov said the agenda includes exchanging views on global and regional issues and reviewing efforts to develop Russia-ASEAN ties. He emphasized that the participants are set to underline their adherence to 鈥渇orming a just and democratic multipolar world order based on the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.鈥�

Ushakov praised what he described as 鈥渇ruitful, equal and constructive dialogue鈥� between Russia and ASEAN.

He told reporters that Putin would have bilateral meetings with ASEAN leaders during the summit, which he will co-chair with Philippine President whose country currently holds the association鈥檚 yearly rotating presidency.

Some of ASEAN鈥檚 diverse member countries, including the Philippines, are seen to be aligned with the United States, while others have heavy trade and security engagements with China and Russia.

Several ASEAN members, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, have either imported Russian crude oil or expressed interest in purchasing it after global fuel prices soared in the wake of the war in Iran.

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Leg-spinner Nikhil Chaudhary, the first India-born male cricketer to represent Australia in 60 years, also bagged a wicket as Bangladesh was bowled out for 131 in 19 overs.

鈥淚 thought it might be spinning a little bit more than it actually did, but to still get enough out of the wicket…it鈥檚 been a childhood dream to play for Australia in any format,鈥� debutant left-arm spinner Joel Davis said. 鈥淭o get that done today was a massive achievement for me.鈥�

Cooper Connolly, who struck 149 to help Australia win the last ODI by one wicket and avoid a three-match series sweep against Bangladesh, hit 47 with four fours and three sixes to guide his side to 133-6 in 18.2 overs.

He stayed composed after Australia lost Mitchell Marsh, back after missing the ODIs because of an ankle injury, and fellow opener Josh Inglis in quick succession.

Abdul Gaffar grabbed a debut wicket when he had Connolly caught after having shared a 40-run stand with Tim David (20) for the third wicket. The left-arm paceman ended up with figures of 2-32.

Bangladesh was led by Tawhid Hriody after Litton Das was ruled out because of a calf injury he sustained during the third ODI.

Hridoy won the toss and elected to bat first but no Bangladesh batters provided any resistance against a disciplined Australia spin attack.

Bangladesh was 39-1 in the fifth over but leg-spinner Zampa and Davies then triggered a collapse as the home team lost seven wickets for 60 runs.

The second T20 is on Friday.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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In a declaration issued overnight, the leaders called the deal a 鈥渉istoric opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring any nuclear weapon and tackling the threats related to its regional and ballistic activities.鈥� The leaders said that they were 鈥渞eady to contribute to its implementation,鈥� although neither the White House nor Iran has released the text of the agreement.

According to of an interim agreement, Iran will immediately take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the deal is signed and will be allowed to sell its oil without restrictions. Officials say the leaked text broadly matches the document.

The accord, in a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday, lays out that the U.S. would work to end all American and United Nations sanctions imposed on Tehran if a is reached.

Trump, however, said the deal is still under wraps. He was speaking at a one-to-one meeting with Egyptian President .

鈥淣obody knows what it is but it鈥檚 very strong,鈥� he told reporters. He added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a memorandum of understanding and if I don鈥檛 like it, we鈥檒l go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs.鈥�

The final day of summit talks started late with Trump, the last to arrive, saying 鈥淚鈥檓 the boss鈥� as he entered the room and sat next to host French President . The assembled leaders laughed, and Trump grinned.

The G7 leaders were closing the formal talks of the leading industrial democracies at a lakeside resort in the French Alps on Wednesday with sessions on the future of and fostering economic growth.

They discussed concerns that with subsidized products, unfairly out-competing their own industries and destroying jobs. Leaders of India, South Korea, Kenya and Brazil also joined the meeting.

The U.S. leader later plans to make a stop for a outside of Paris before he jets back to Washington.

What’s in the deal

While G7 leaders gave it their backing, Trump still has to sell the deal to some members of his own party who doubt it will defang Iran鈥檚 nuclear program. At the same time, he faces an anxious international community looking for him to follow through on his promise that the deal will reopen the to oil tanker traffic, and keep it open.

The leaders said that an international maritime mission led by France and the U.K. 鈥渃an play an important role to facilitate the resumption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz by protecting merchant vessels, reassuring commercial shipping operators, and supporting verification that all mines are removed.鈥�

Before the Iran war, a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime chokepoint that Iran has effectively shuttered since the first days of the conflict that began on Feb. 28.

The deal also calls for an immediate end to all between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. That is one of the most delicate parts of the agreement because Israel has maintained it will continue to defend itself and to occupy vast swaths of Lebanon. Iran has said , although the leaked versions make no mention of withdrawal.

In their declaration, G7 leaders said they supported 鈥渢hrough an immediate robust ceasefire鈥� Lebanese efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and protect Lebanon鈥檚 territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed nearly 4,000 people, including hundreds of civilians, and displaced more than 1 million since fighting there began on March 2. 鈥淚srael鈥檚 fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed,鈥� Trump said.

Leaders vow to support Ukraine, tackle global drug gangs and migrant smugglers

In a flurry of declarations issued in the early hours of Wednesday, the G7 leaders stressed their support for Ukraine as it and agreed to increase deliveries of air defense systems. They also said they would bolster sanctions on Moscow, including on Russia’s oil and gas industries.

Leaders also pledged to step up the fight against the multibillion dollar international drug trade. The statement comes as Trump has been waging his own battle against drug traffickers.

on alleged drug-carrying boats transiting in Latin America have killed more than 200 people since September, when the Trump administration began an operation it has to stem the flow of drugs.

Critics have questioned the legality of the strikes.

In a separate declaration, the G7 leaders reaffirmed their efforts to halt migrant smuggling and human trafficking, which they said 鈥渃onstitute serious transnational crimes that erode the sovereign right of States to control their borders and expose smuggled and trafficked persons to life-threatening risks.鈥�

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Superville reported from Geneva. AP writers John Leicester in Evian-les-Bains, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed reporting.

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Executives of leading AI companies including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei are attending discussions as U.S. President and other leaders close formal talks of the leading industrial nations in the lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains with a session on the future of and another on fostering economic growth.

Trump plans to stop outside Paris for a before jetting back to Washington on Wednesday.

The G7 leaders spent the bulk of the meetings Tuesday discussing the and a tentative deal to end . Trump did not reveal details of the agreement expected to be signed by the United States and Iran on Friday in Switzerland, saying 鈥渘obody knows what it is but it鈥檚 very strong.”

The G7 includes France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Guest nations at this summit include Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, South Korea, Qatar, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.

Here is the latest:

Tourists at Versailles are out of luck: It鈥檚 shut down for Trump-Macron dinner

The vast, glittering palace built for France鈥檚 鈥砈un King鈥欌�� Louis XIV closed its gates for Wednesday鈥檚 dinner, which was just confirmed four days ago.

A helicopter is flying now over the vast grounds of the chateau as security tightens.

It took 25-year-old Ben Olson and his girlfriend, Amanda Gruell, both from Minnesota, an hour to get from Paris to Versailles, only to learn they wouldn鈥檛 be able to enter.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what they鈥檙e going to talk about,鈥� Olson said. The disappointed couple decided to walk around the town instead.

As G7 leaders meet AI titans, their spouses discuss dangers of the technology

Brigitte Macron took some G7 leaders鈥� spouses to an event called 鈥淧rotecting Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence鈥� as their partners met with AI titans.

Macron led Kenya鈥檚 Rachel Kimetto, Germany鈥檚 Charlotte Merz, Canada鈥檚 Diana Fox Carney, South Korea鈥檚 Kim Hye-kyung, France鈥檚 Brigitte Macron, Britain鈥檚 Victoria Starmer, Brazil鈥檚 Janja Lula da Silva and Heiko von der Leyen, husband of the EU executive, to La Buvette Cachat, an ornate wood and glass pavilion built in 1832 in Art Nouveau style on the south shore of Lake Geneva.

Trump says US won鈥檛 spend 10 cents to help Iran rebuild

The tentative agreement would provide Iran with at least $300 billion to rebuild after the intense U.S. and Israeli-led bombing campaign, according to leaked copies of the document.

But Trump insists the U.S. won鈥檛 aid the effort.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not putting up ten cents,鈥� Trump said while meeting with Egypt鈥檚 president. 鈥淧eople can decide to do that, but that鈥檚 up to them. We are not investing in it, and we do not have a fund.鈥�

Trump said he鈥檚 not asking Gulf countries to contribute. He said other countries are free to do so if they choose.

Merz says 鈥榥o personal disturbances鈥� as allies met Trump

The German leader says the G7 leaders spoke 鈥渧ery openly鈥� and 鈥渧ery constructively鈥� about the issues on the summit agenda.

Merz got off to a good start with Trump last year, but their relationship cooled after Merz said earlier this year that the U.S. was being 鈥渉umiliated鈥� by Iran and criticized Washington for going into the war without a strategy.

Merz said when asked about his relationship with Trump Wednesday that he 鈥渆xperienced this G7 summit as very constructive and really carried by a joint spirit, and at no point were there any personal disturbances.鈥�

Germany pledges support on Iran deal but sees no 鈥榯ime pressure鈥�

Merz is reiterating Berlin鈥檚 intention to help support a peace deal in the Middle East. That could include a military mission in the Strait of Hormuz if there is a ceasefire.

But Merz said there is 鈥渁 series of preconditions that are not yet fulfilled, so there is no immediate hurry.鈥�

Germany鈥檚 government would need to secure a parliamentary mandate for any military mission.

Merz noted that there are still two weeks of parliamentary sessions before the legislature鈥檚 summer break starts in July and said that 鈥渢here is no time pressure at the moment.鈥�

Trump says agreement with Iran still hasn鈥檛 been finalized

鈥淚t鈥檚 a memorandum of understanding and if I don鈥檛 like it, we鈥檒l go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs,鈥� Trump said.

Trump also repeated his claim that his negotiating prowess and willingness to use military action pushed the Iranians to make a deal.

鈥淣obody could have made this deal,鈥� he said.

Egypt鈥檚 leader touts US efforts to settle Cairo鈥檚 dispute with Ethiopia

During a news conference with Trump on the sidelines of the summit, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said that his government 鈥渧alues the U.S. support to Egypt,鈥� as well as efforts to solve the Ethiopian dam issue.

El-Sissi has forged close ties with Trump since the American leader鈥檚 first term in the White House.

Egypt fears that Ethiopia鈥檚 controversial dam could slash its share of Nile water, and it has called for a legally binding agreement on the dam鈥檚 operation.

German leader highlights G7 support for Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the outcome of the summit shows that the group鈥檚 support for Ukraine is 鈥渁s strong as seldom before.鈥�

He said it also sends a clear signal to Moscow that all G7 members will step up pressure on Russia, including through sanctions.

鈥淭hat sets a new tone, including in trans-Atlantic unity and determination,鈥� Merz said, adding that it could be a 鈥渄ecisive step鈥� toward peace negotiations.

G7 AI lunch is one of the first times OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs are appearing together

The G7鈥檚 AI lunch will be one of the first times that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei will be appearing together since they made an at an AI summit in India earlier this year.

At that meeting, the two rivals were part of a group of 13 tech leaders on stage when the summit host beckoned them to lift up their hands in a chain, like at the end of a theater show.

But Altman and Amodei avoided hand contact, and both eventually put up their fists instead, in a moment that went viral on social media.

The two have longstanding differences over approaches to AI safety. Amodei worked at OpenAI before he and a group quit to form Anthropic in 2021.

Trump says the emerging Iran deal is a good one, even though details remain secret

鈥淣obody knows what it is but it鈥檚 very strong,鈥� Trump said of the deal that is expected to be formally signed by U.S. and Iranian officials on Friday.

Trump added that a surging stock market is validating the deal.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing so smart as the market, and the market loves it, Trump said.

Nvidia boss Huang and Amazon founder Bezos among those not at G7 AI lunch

Among those not expected at the G7 lunch was Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who opened a new factory in Dallas on Tuesday and gave an exclusive interview to The Associated Press. Huang, whose company鈥檚 advanced chips are seen as essential for the AI boom, said he thought new social norms are needed when it comes to AI.

Another tech figure who was in France but not at the G7 was Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who appeared at a tech conference in Paris. Bezos told the crowd his new AI startup, Prometheus, would be different from current AI large language models because it would be the basis for a series of engineering tools.

He also said disagreed with the view that AI will eliminate jobs, saying the technology 鈥渋s going to create a labor shortage because it鈥檚 going to make it possible for people to identify more problems鈥� to solve with AI.

Trump offers a round of applause for Macron

Trump offered a round of applause for Macron at the beginning of the G7 session on global economic imbalances, saying the French president is 鈥渄oing great鈥� and paying tribute to the Evian summit鈥檚 organisation, a diplomat informed of the talks said.

An AP reporter close to the meeting鈥檚 room was able to hear the applause.

A senior French diplomatic official later described the Evian gathering as 鈥渢he best G7鈥� in years, citing the quality of informal exchanges among leaders. The official said those discussions helped secure endorsement from all G7 members, including Trump, of a joint statement on key geopolitical issues, including the Middle East and Ukraine.

Officials would not speak publicly about the leader鈥檚 talks that were behind closed doors.

AI bosses attend lunch with leaders to talk about safe deployment of the technology

High-profile AI industry figures will take part in a rare huddle with political leaders on the meeting鈥檚 final day.

The leaders of three of the world鈥檚 most powerful AI companies 鈥� OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei 鈥� were due to attend a working lunch on the theme of 鈥淓nsuring a safe, rapid and effective deployment of artificial intelligence.鈥�

European AI labs were represented by Arthur Mensch, CEO of France鈥檚 Mistral AI; Robin Rombach, CEO of Germany鈥檚 Black Forest Labs, Victor Riperbelli of U.K.-based Synthesia and Uljan Sharma, CEO of Italy鈥檚 Domyn.

Other AI founders joining the lunch include Aidan Gomez, CEO of Canada鈥檚 Cohere, Ren Ito, the founder of Japan鈥檚 Sakana AI, Vivek Raghavan of India鈥檚 Sarvam AI. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff was also taking part.

Trump told other G7 leaders 鈥矷鈥檓 the boss鈥欌��

That was his opening phrase as he walked in 鈥� late 鈥� to the first session of the day at the G7 summit.

The room laughed, and Trump grinned. After exchanging niceties with the U.S. president, Macron then got the meeting underway.

G7 leaders focus on China trade surges and consequences for industry and jobs

G7 leaders were to discuss concerns that with subsidized products, unfairly out-competing their own industries and destroying jobs. They gathered for a session focusing on 鈥減romoting balanced, shared and sustainable economic growth鈥� alongside partners including leaders of India, South Korea, Kenya and Brazil.

Talks come as China is redirecting its products away from the U.S. tariff wall and toward more open markets in Europe and elsewhere in Asia.

The shift in Chinese trade risks creating a European sequel to the China Shock that wiped out hundreds of thousands of factory jobs in the American heartland in the 2000s. Despite U.S. sanctions, China notched a record global trade surplus last year.

Informal talks begin

Leaders of France, the UK, Italy, Germany and Canada have gathered for informal talks ahead of a G7 session on global economic imbalances, French President Emmanuel Macron鈥檚 office said.

They then joined the meeting involving partners including India, South Korea, Kenya and India.

Starmer says he discussed Russia oil sanctions with Trump

Keir Starmer says he isn鈥檛 sure whether Trump has made a decision about whether to reimpose sanctions on Russian oil.

The British leader says he talked to Trump about the temporary U.S. sanctions waiver.

Starmer told British broadcaster ITV he and Trump had 鈥渁 very constructive discussion about Ukraine,鈥� but 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that a decision has been made yet.鈥�

He said G7 leaders shared 鈥渁 real determination to stand with Ukraine,鈥� including through more sanctions on Russia.

Trump delays Jay Clayton鈥檚 nomination for intel director to try to push Congress on voting bill

Trump said on Wednesday that he鈥檚 delaying Jay Clayton鈥檚 nomination to lead the U.S. intelligence community in a bid to force Congress to act on a voter ID bill that currently lacks enough support for passage.

Trump said in a lengthy post on his social media site that he will keep Bill Pulte, a top U.S. housing official, as acting director of national intelligence. Lawmakers in both parties had opposed Trump鈥檚 nomination of Pulte, citing his apparent lack of experience in the intelligence field, which essentially forced Trump to turn to Clayton.

Clayton had been set to appear on Wednesday for a Senate confirmation hearing that was fast-tracked because of the lapse of a due to bipartisan anger over Trump鈥檚 pick of Pulte.

No Bilateral Meeting for Carney and Trump at G7 as Trade Pact Renewal Looms

Carney did not get a bilateral meeting with Trump at the summit, despite the free trade agreement between the countries being up for renewal on July 1.

Carney says he had seven or eight discussions with Trump and he expects to have more Wednesday.

He says they discussed a wide range of subjects, from the economy, relations, his birthday, artificial intelligence, Ukraine and Iran.

Canadian prime ministers usually get a bilateral meeting with an American president at G7 summits. And it is a crucial time for talks to potentially renew the free-trade agreement between the two countries and Mexico. Trump said last week that he may not renew the deal.

Macron is the only G7 leader to get a bilateral meeting thus far. Trump met with the leaders of non-G7 countries of Qatar, UAE, Egypt and India.

Trump to close final day in France at Palace of Versailles

The expansive palace is where he鈥檒l have dinner with Macron before the flight back to Washington.

At the final day of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, Trump is set to participate in working sessions with his counterparts from France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan, alongside leaders from some developing nations and tech CEOs.

In between sessions, he鈥檒l hold one-on-one talks with Egypt鈥檚 president and India鈥檚 prime minister.

Trump is also holding a news conference before the trip to Versailles.

Leaders pledge Ukraine support including air defense technology

G7 leaders said in a joint statement overnight they would increase military support for Ukraine after recent 鈥減rogress on the battlefield.鈥�

They also plan to levy harsher sanctions on Russia鈥檚 energy sector in the wake of the recent deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

They plan to give more air defense technology including interceptors and grant military production licenses to Ukraine.

Kyiv has sought the permits to construct their own Patriot missiles.

Carney says Iran deal could be a global game changer

Carney says a to end the Iran war could be a game changer in the world.

The Canadian prime minister, speaking on the final day of the summit, said the agreement could have positive effects including the ability to provide additional defensive support in Ukraine.

Carney said here has been a change in tone concerning Ukraine, which was discussed in detail at the summit on Tuesday.

Many countries are vested in making the Iran deal work, he said.

G7 leaders call for safe and toll-free shipping in Strait of Hormuz

Leaders gathered at the G7 summit issued a joint statement overnight Tuesday on the agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran focused on securing safe passage without tolls in the Persian Gulf.

鈥淲e reaffirm that the right of transit passage without restrictions or tolls is the bedrock of international trade,鈥� said the statement of leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Iran floated a similar idea in April to fund reconstruction of areas in the country damaged by war.

The closure of the strait has driven up fuel and fertilizer costs and rattled economies worldwide.

The statement also offered support to a French and British-led naval mission to the Persian Gulf to safeguard ships and remove mines from one of the crucial choke-points in the world鈥檚 energy supply chain.

Carney gives birthday gift to Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gave U.S. President Donald Trump a present for his 80th birthday, but said it鈥檚 鈥渘ot gold.鈥�

Trump was 鈥渧ery pleased,鈥� Carney said, adding that he 鈥渓ikes it a lot.鈥�

Carney didn鈥檛 specify what the gift was and a spokesperson for the prime minister didn鈥檛 immediately know.

Trump is known for his love of gold. An Oval Office makeover at the start of his term included large amounts of fresh gold trim.

Trump and Carney have a positive relationship despite Trump鈥檚 previous comments about making Canada the 51st state of the United States.

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New Zealand was put into bat by stand-in captain Joe Root, who was hoping his inexperienced attack could exploit the moisture in the pitch after drizzle delayed the start for 30 minutes.

They removed the opening batters, Devon Conway on 9 and captain Tom Latham on 27.

Conway gifted his at 14-1 in the first half-hour, gloving a Matthew Fisher delivery down the leg side and giving an easy catch to debutant wicketkeeper James Rew.

The pitch, as expected, appeared to have lost its spite nearing lunch when Latham, who had hung tough for 74 deliveries, tried turning Jofra Archer to the leg side but found a leading edge that Jacob Bethell superbly snatched out of the air at gully.

At lunch, after 25 overs, were a nervy Henry Nicholls on 23 from 50 balls and Rachin Ravindra on 11 after a couple of exquisite boundaries. On a pitch that will flatten out on day one, New Zealand was expected to be happy to have lost only two wickets in the first session.

England can clinch the three-match series at The Oval after winning the first test at Lord’s, but the host team will have to do it after making five changes, debuting three players, and with Root as a stopgap captain four years after he gave up the position.

Josh Tongue was the only remaining seamer from Lord’s. Archer was playing his first test since the third Ashes match in Adelaide before Christmas. Fisher was playing his second test, and first since 2022, but on his home ground. The lively Sonny Baker made his debut.

They had plenty of pace but generally bowled too short without troubling New Zealand.

With the promise of better batting conditions on a sunnier afternoon, New Zealand dug in and England could prise out only Conway and Latham. Nicholls replaced the retired Kane Williamson and was playing his first test since August while Ravindra already had more runs than he managed at Lord’s.

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Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.9%, up from a revised 0.4% gain in April, according to new Commerce Department data released Wednesday. Sales got a boost from generous government tax refunds in both April and May, though economists say that cushion is starting to fade.

Excluding sales at gas stations, retail sales in May rose 0.7%.

Sales at at clothing and accessories stores rose 0.3%, while business at home furnishing and furniture stores rose 1%. Business at electronics and appliance stores fell 0.5%. Online sales rose 1.5%.

The data released Wednesday offers only a snapshot of consumer spending and doesn鈥檛 include activities like travel and hotel stays. The lone services category 鈥� restaurants 鈥� registered a 0.1% decline.

Consumers are the engine of the American economy, driving most of the nation鈥檚 economic growth. Their spending has remained resilient so far this year despite rising prices and lackluster hiring.

Rising gas prices to its highest level in three years, U.S. data showed last week, with consumer prices rising 4.2% in May, compared with last year.

There is a tentative deal to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but even after oil starts flowing again from the Middle East it could take awhile

Gas prices fell about a penny overnight to $4.02, down 11% from $4.51 a month ago, according to motor club AAA. The national average for a gallon of gasoline has not been below $4 since March, according to AAA.

鈥淲hile the deal is encouraging, our industry is still holding its breath,鈥� said Steve Lamar, the CEO of trade group American Apparel & Footwear Association. 鈥漁ur question now is, will this agreement be strong enough for our global industry to begin recovering?鈥�

The spike in gas prices this year due to the Iran war may alter some behavior, peace deal or not. Analysts say

And even as gas prices come down, some analysts believe some shoppers will keep some of the habits they picked up as prices soared, like filling up the car at big box stores where they can get discounts.

Visits to gas stations operated by big box chains like BJ鈥檚, Costco and Sam鈥檚 Club, which offer discounts to members, began to accelerate in early March, aligning with a sharp rise in fuel prices, said R.J. Hottovy, the head of analytical research at , which tracks people鈥檚 movements based on cellphone usage.

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Hamilton led FEMA briefly last year until he was fired after defending its existence. His nomination comes as the Republican administration has increasingly signaled it is backing away from an agency that has been heavily criticized by the president.

Hamilton was named temporary head in January 2025, just days before the president floated FEMA. Hamilton had never been a state or local emergency management director and had himself publicly criticized FEMA in the past.

Once on the job, he said he was concerned about threats to abolish the agency. At a House hearing last year, he said he did not 鈥渂elieve it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate鈥� FEMA. He was fired the next day.

If confirmed, Hamilton would be the principal adviser to Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on emergency management. FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

He would be FEMA鈥檚 first permanent administrator in Trump鈥檚 second term. The agency has gone through , including Hamilton鈥檚 brief tenure from in 2025 from January to May.

Hamilton would take over an agency still reeling from at DHS. FEMA鈥檚 workforce has been worn down by mass staff departures, operations and a protracted DHS shutdown.

Hamilton will need to ensure that FEMA is prepared for summer disaster season, while answering to Trump, who is likely to expect major changes after a council he appointed at the agency.

Among the other Trump nominees being considered at the hearing Wednesday is David Cummins for the Transportation Security Administration.

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